Hiding behind another licence – Front gets found out

Press release

In a recent case, Nick Denton, Traffic Commissioner for the West Midlands, was faced with a case of fronting, where a revoked operator uses another company to hide the fact that they are continuing to operate illegally.

In this case, the operator at public inquiry, Wayne Wood trading as Woodys Haulage had effectively lent his licence to Slumberdreams (UK) a company controlled by Sharez Hussain which does not have an operator’s licence. Mr Hussain has been associated with multiple revoked licences, held by Slumberdream Ltd, Slumberzone Beds Ltd, Health Therapy Ltd and Midlands Logistics UK Ltd amongst others. Originally disqualified from holding a licence in 2012 as a result of serious non-compliance, Mr Hussain has since sought to operate through a number of other companies.

The commissioner found that there was no sense in which Mr Wood was the operator of the three vehicles in question. The work of the three vehicles (bed delivery) was assigned by Slumberdream, the operating cost of the vehicles was borne entirely by Slumberdream and the drivers were instructed and paid by Slumberdream. and Mr Wood bore no financial risk from the operation of the vehicles: he simply collected £425 per week for the use of his operator licence.

The commissioner said “Whether Mr Wood entered into an arrangement which he knew was illegal, or whether he was so naïve and incompetent that he failed to realise that the arrangements amounted to lending his licence, scarcely matters. Neither possibility reflects any credit on Mr Wood. I find that either through deliberate illegal action or through an unconscionable degree of ignorance and negligence, he has lost his good repute. His actions have enabled a long-standing rogue operator to continue to operate HGVs over a significant period of time.”

Mr Wood lost both his operator’s licence and his good repute as a transport manager.

As a consequence of this, he is no longer able to be nominated as the transport manager for Woody1991 Ltd, his son’s company, calling into question the future of a second business.

Further details can be found here.

Published 8 April 2022

Motorists urged to check tyres and journeys before setting off this bank holiday 

Research commissioned by National Highways shows that only one in six drivers check their tyres before setting off on a long journey, meaning some could be taking to the road with a potentially serious vehicle defect.
To underline the risks, separate figures show that a fifth of motorway breakdowns are caused by worn or incorrectly inflated tyres.

National Highways is now urging motorists to carry out some basic vehicle checks before setting off on journeys ahead of the Easter bank holiday with more than 1,000 miles of roadworks being lifted to help drivers. It will mean that around 98 per cent of England’s major A-roads and motorway network will be free from roadworks.

Dave Harford, Traffic Officer for National Highways, who patrols the M5, M42, M50 and other major routes said: 

This is the first bank holiday of the year, so we expect the roads to be busy with people looking to make the most of a long weekend.

The last thing anybody wants on the way to their destination is to have a vehicle breakdown. That’s why it’s really important people spend a few minutes checking the condition of their tyres before setting off.

The advice from National Highways is simple: check your tyre pressure, tread depth and tyre age including the spare, before you set off on a long journey. 

Look out for cuts or wear over the full width of the tyre and don’t forget to check the side of the tyre wall. 

Dave added:

Although the legal limit for tyre tread depth is 1.6mm, we recommend you don’t let the tread get that low. Changing the tyre at 2mm in summer and 3mm in winter is good practice and maintains overall good tyre performance in all conditions. To check your tyre pressure, visit most fuel and service station forecourts, which have an air machine for checking and inflating your tyre pressure.

If you are stopped by the police and found with illegal tyres, you could receive a £2,500 fine and 3 penalty points per tyre. 

National Highways says simple checks are a way to make sure the vehicle is roadworthy. Things to consider are:  Tyres: Ensure tyre pressures are suitable for the load and check the condition of tyres, including the spare. Look out for cuts or wear across the whole tyre including sidewall. 

Engine oil: Check oil levels regularly and top up if needed. Take your car back to the garage if you’re topping up more than usual.

Water: Always keep your screen wash topped up with a good ratio of water and screen wash to maximise the cleaning efficiency so you can clear debris or dirt off your windscreen easily. 

Lights: If your indicators, hazard lights, headlights, fog lights, reverse lights or brake lights are not functioning properly, you are putting yourself and your family at risk. In addition, your vehicle may fail its MoT.

Fuel: Before setting out make sure you have enough fuel to get to your destination. Running out of fuel can put you, your family and other road users at risk unnecessarily. 

If you experience problems with your vehicle and you can’t leave the motorway you should always try to go left – to an emergency area, a hard shoulder, motorway services or slip road hard shoulder.  

If that is not possible and you have stopped in a live lane or feel your life is in danger you must stay in your vehicle with your seatbelt and hazard lights on and call 999 immediately.  

Drivers should also take a few minutes to plan their journeys in advance. Live updates on traffic flow can be found on the Traffic England website. 

Get more information related to checking your tyres

For people travelling to the Kent ports, drivers are also being reminded that Operation Brock is active on the M20.
Operation Brock is a traffic management arrangement for traffic wishing to use Eurotunnel and the Port of Dover.
Drivers crossing the channel should:

Plan ahead and check before they travel
Leave plenty of extra time
Bring some supplies in case of delays (water, food etc)
Follow the signs when they get onto the M20

Drivers heading for the Kent ports can check on the status of Operation Brock here

Roadworks will be removed by 6am on Thursday 14 April and not put back in place until 12.01am Tuesday 19 April.

General enquiries

Members of the public should contact the National Highways customer contact centre on 0300 123 5000.

Media enquiries

Journalists should contact the National Highways press office on 0844 693 1448 and use the menu to speak to the most appropriate press officer.

Cambridgeshire man fined over £300 after fishing illegally

Paul Smart, of Acred Close, Little Downham, was caught fishing without a licence on 30 August 2021 at Lakeside Caravan Park in Denver, Norfolk.

The case was heard at Folkestone Magistrates Court where Smart pleaded guilty. The court fined the 52-year-old £333 and imposed a £34 victim surcharge and £60 in costs. At a total of £427, this is almost 10 times more than the current price of a £45 fishing licence.*

Fisheries team leader, Ian Hirst, said:

This case shows we pursue offenders through the courts and won’t hesitate to take enforcement action where anglers break rules. Anyone found fishing illegally may face prosecution and a fine of up to £2,500.

All anglers need a valid Environment Agency fishing licence. The money raised through the sales of fishing licences is re-invested and enables us to improve all fisheries, including rivers, for anglers.

Our fisheries enforcement officers routinely undertake licence checks, and we urge anyone with information about illegal fishing to contact us on 0800 807060.

Licences now run 365 days from the day of purchase offering 12 full months of fishing.

Any angler aged 13 or over, fishing on a river, canal or still water needs a licence. A 1-day licence costs from just £6, and an annual licence costs from just £30. Concessions are available. Junior licences are free for 13- to 16-year-olds.

For more information or to buy a fishing licence visit the GOV.UK website or call the Environment Agency on 0344 800 5386. Alternatively, you can purchase a licence from your local Post Office branch.

The Environment Agency carries out enforcement work all year round and is supported by police forces and the Angling Trust. Fisheries enforcement work is intelligence-led, targeting known hot-spots and where illegal fishing is reported.

Anyone with information about illegal fishing activities should report it to our incident hotline number 0800 807060. You can also report it to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Paul Smart pleaded guilty to breaching Section 27(1)(a) of the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Act 1975. He was sentenced at Folkestone Magistrates Court on 25 February.

*£45 is the cost of a 12-month trout and coarse 3-rod fishing licence.

Tristram Mayhew, Sir Ian Livingstone CBE, Lord Iain McNicol, Ndidi Okezie OBE and Ashley Summerfield have been reappointed as National Citizen Service Trust Board Members

Tristram Mayhew

In 2002 Tristram founded Go Ape, a multi-award winning forest adventure business operating in 33 locations across Britain and at 16 across America. Go Ape has won the ‘Small to Medium Sized Business of the Year’ in the UK National Business Awards, and is listed in the Sunday Times 100 Best Companies to work for. As well as being Go Ape’s Chief Gorilla, Tristram is responsible for youth sailing at Bosham Sailing Club, an alumna of London Business School and a member of the Young Presidents Organisation. Tristram formerly served as a tank and infantry commander in the Royal Dragoon Guards, retiring as a captain in 1997.

Ndidi Okezie OBE

As Chief Executive Office of UK Youth, a leading charity supporting young people in the UK, Ndidi is passionate about social justice, youth voice and quality access to education for all. In 2020 she received an OBE for services to young people during the COVID-19 response.

Prior to joining UK Youth, Ndidi’s career spans across the education, charity and corporate sectors. Her former roles include teacher, school leader, Executive Director of Teach First and Vice President at Pearson PLC.

Ashley Summerfield

Ashley Summerfield leads Egon Zehnder’s global Board Consulting Practice. He is a trusted advisor to scores of prestigious clients around the world and he specialises in building boards and CEO succession. Ashley has deep experience across a range of sectors including financial services, commercial property, marketing services, sustainable technologies, commodities, and private equity. Ahsley also conducts external board effectiveness reviews.

Prior to joining Egon Zehnder, Ashley cofounded Central Europe Trust with Nigel Lawson, former Chancellor of the Exchequer, a corporate finance advisory business specialising in Central and Eastern Europe. His early career was with strategy consultants Booz Allen and Hamilton.Ashley currently volunteers as a biology teacher for TeachFirst/Teach for All.

Lord Iain McNicol

Lord McNicol is a Labour life peer and current Deputy Chairman of Committees in the House of Lords. Starting as a West London Labour party agent in 1994, Lord McNicol has a long history of organising in the Labour and trade union movement, eventually becoming Secretary General of the Labour Party in 2011 until 2018. Prior to this, he worked as the National Political Officer of the GMB Union

Sir Ian Livingstone CBE

Sir Ian is one of the founding fathers of the UK games industry, co-founding Games Workshop in 1975, launching Dungeons & Dragons and Warhammer in Europe. In 1982, he co-authored The Warlock of Firetop Mountain, the first interactive gamebook in the multi-million selling Fighting Fantasy series. As Chairman of video games publisher Eidos plc, he launched Lara Croft: Tomb Raider in 1996. In 2011, Sir Ian co-authored the Next Gen review and chaired the Next Gen Skills campaign, working with the government to introduce the new Computing curriculum in schools in 2014. With a focus on digital creativity and computational thinking, the Livingstone Academy in Bournemouth opened in 2021, in association with Aspirations Academies Trust.

He is a General Partner at Hiro Capital LLP, and Non-Executive Director atAspirations Academies Trust, theFoundation for Education Development and Creative UK. He is also aMember of Raspberry Pi Foundation and President of the BGI.

Under the terms of the NCS Charter, the appointment of the Chair and members is made by HM The Queen on the advice of the Privy Council and on a recommendation from the Prime Minister. These roles are not remunerated. These reappointments have been made in accordance with the Cabinet Office’s Governance Code on Public Appointments. The appointments process is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. Under the Code, any significant political activity undertaken by an appointee in the last five years must be declared. This is defined as including holding office, public speaking, making a recordable donation, or candidature for election.

Lord McNicol has declared that he was General Secretary of the Labour Party from 2011 until 2018, and has been a Labour life peer since 2018.

Sir Ian Livingstone CBE, Tristram Mayhew, Ndidi Okezie OBE and Ashley Summerfield have not declared no activity.

Acid attacker receives increased sentence after leaving victim partially blind

News story

A teenager who attacked a boy using acid has received an increased sentence under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme.

A teenager who squirted acid in the face and eyes of a boy he was trying to rob has received an increased sentence after the Solicitor General Alex Chalk QC MP referred his case to the Court of Appeal.

Linden Crick, 17, armed himself with a ‘Rambo’ knife and a bottle of sulphuric acid in February 2021 before threatening a group of young men in a park in Newham to hand over their phones. Crick then approached one of the young men separately and when he refused to hand over his phone, squirted acid in his face before escaping on an e-scooter.

The 17-year-old victim was left disfigured, with only 40 per cent vision in his right eye, and 10 percent vision in his left.

On 20 January 2022, Crick was found guilty after trial at Snaresbrook Crown Court of applying a corrosive fluid with intent, two offences of section 18 Grievous Bodily Harm with intent, possession of an offensive weapon, possession of a bladed article and six counts of attempted robbery. He was sentenced to 8 years’ detention.

The judge lifted reported restrictions preventing him being named because of his age.

The Solicitor General referred Crick’s case to the Court of Appeal under the Unduly Lenient scheme.

On 8 April the Court found the sentence handed to Crick to be unduly lenient and increased it to a total extended sentence of 14 years, comprising a custodial term of 11 years’ detention and 3’ years extended licence.

Speaking after the hearing, the Solicitor General Alex Chalk QC MP said:

Linden Crick carried out a horrific and cowardly acid attack on a teenage boy knowing it was extremely likely to cause severe and permanent injury.

Although today’s decision cannot repair the life-changing injuries caused by these appalling actions, I welcome the additional punishment Linden Crick will now receive.

Published 8 April 2022